I started this post two years ago following a CF virtual conference on transplant. Little did I know, I would receive my double lung transplant less than a month later!
At that time I already had a sense of what an incredible “village” I had around me. As things unfolded, my awareness grew regarding how much I needed this support, and how fortunate I was to have so many of you as part of my community.
Flash forward two years and, though my life looks very different, more stable, I remain grateful for the village I find myself in, including friends and family, those near, those far, those I connect with online (more now than ever because of COVID). I am still able to receive, and I enjoy being able to give from a fuller, healthier place.
It’s interesting to consider how our “villages” have been impacted by this pandemic. In some ways we have become more distant or disconnected; in other ways we have grown closer.
I know this time has led to much isolation with physical (and social) distancing. If you live on your own, it has been tough, without a doubt. For those of us who do live with people, it can still be lonely at times as we wrestle with our own experience of this time. Faults in the foundation of relationships become clearer under stress. Facing the stress of this time in general, it can be difficult and cause us to withdraw. I’m noticing that there is a movement toward appreciating this distance. At times I understand the feeling of wanting to remain home, preferring the comfort, safety, or just solitude found there. Some of this is good (learning to be with oneself and appreciating home). Some aspects lead to hiding and avoiding, a loss of engaging with the world.
The other side, however, is that even through this isolation, we are learning or remembering the need for connection. Perhaps we have become more appreciative of the people we have in our lives. The drought of connection has likely sent many to a place of craving that contact. Maybe you’ve found ways of finding this interaction through online meetings, phone calls, or physically distanced visits. It is beautiful to watch the concept and tools of connecting in our “village” grow in creativity and importance.
I think learning to accept, appreciate, and grow in community requires both isolation (or solitude) and togetherness. As we continue to navigate the complexity of this time and how it has impacted and changed relationships, let’s tune in to how the landscape has shifted in our soul. In what ways have our experience of that ever-important “village” been shaped? What has burned away? What has remained? What has died and perhaps needs to be revived? What has found new life?
